Reuter: Push Against SLORC By The P

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Subject: Reuter: Push Against SLORC By The Powerless of Burma

 Push Against SLORC By The Powerless of Burma

   By Rajan Moses
     RANGOON, July 10 (Reuter) - Despite Aung San Suu Kyi's democracy push,
it is unlikely Burma's ruling generals will transfer or share their
absolute power in the foreseeable future, diplomats and analysts said on
Wednesday.
     One Asian diplomat said Suu Kyi, released from six years of house
arrest exactly one year ago, was now powerless.
     "Despite a long and lingering frustration and resentment against
uniformed people, the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Committee
(SLORC) is going to be here for good in one form or another," the diplomat
said.
     "The people don't want a repeat of 1988 when there was chaos, shooting
and arrests. The SLORC has all the means to stop any repeat of this and Suu
Kyi seems powerless now," he said.
    The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has had a tough time with the military
in pushing the democracy cause. She has been attacked in the official media
and has failed in attempts to open talks with the SLORC.
     She has also watched the arrests of more than 250 activists from her
National League for Democracy (NLD), and the subsequent release of most of
them.
     Suu Kyi says her British husband has been refused a visa to visit her
since December and the military has boxed her and the opposition in by
passing a law forbidding anyone from attempting to interfere with a
government-run national convention which is writing a pro-military
constitution.
     But a defiant Suu Kyi told Reuters on Tuesday the NLD planned to go
ahead with drafting its own version of a constitution, as decided by a
party congress held in May.
     "Yes, the party congress gave us the responsibility for drawing up a
draft constitution and we will go ahead with that," she said. "People are
not interested in the present national convention or the constitution they
are drawing up."
     Diplomats and analysts said the military was sensitive to such talk.
"It is a very delicate situation as any wrong move by either side could
lead to a volatile situation. If either side oversteps there could be
trouble," said the Asian diplomat.
     A senior official of Burma's military government said on Wednesday it
was illegal for Suu Kyi to write a constitution.
     "That is not acceptable and is illegal," Lieutenant-General Kyaw Ba, a
member of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), said
in an interview.
     "The constitution must be drafted by all kinds of people, all ethnic
groups and different levels of people," he said.
     Suu Kyi claims she has the support of the majority of the people based
on communications with party cells at village level nationwide. The NLD's
sweeping 1990 election victory, which was not recognised by the military,
is evidence of her support, a senior party official said.
      But the military is not convinced and, to her frustration, has
refused to open a dialogue with her.
     "They are so afraid of dialogue. They think it's some kind of battle,
some kind of a duel," she said.
     Some European diplomats said that unless the SLORC's current
composition changed, it was unlikely Suu Kyi would make much headway in her
fight for democracy.
     "It looks like the SLORC in its present form won't talk to Suu Kyi. If
there is some shake-up in the SLORC in future some of the tough guys who
won't talk to her now may change their tactics," said a European diplomat.
     Suu Kyi said she has been able to reorganise her NLD and streamline
the party during her year of release and sees that as a positive
achievement. Her weekly speeches to supporters outside her lakeside Rangoon
home were taped and sent to villagers nationwide to keep them informed, she
said.
     Other diplomats said that although the SLORC was all powerful
domestically, some lingering and growing economic problems  could
destabilise it.
     "Inflation is rising with the prices of rice rising steadily in recent
months. Inflation officially said to be around 20-30 percent runs at around
40 percent and people's salaries are getting to be inadequate," said
another Asian diplomat.
     "When it hits the stomach of the people then there may be problems for
them," he said.
     Suu Kyi remains determined but declines to give details of her plans.
"We will continue consolidating ourselves and continue to fight for our
rights, not just as a political party but as a movement that represents the
will of the people of Burma," she said.
  REUTER
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